UNHAPPINESS.
Night succeeded the joyful evening, and the members of the Frank family
lay deep in the arms of sleep, when suddenly, at the hour of midnight,
they were awoke by the fearful cry of "Fire! fire!"
The house was on fire, and smoke and flames met them at every turn; for
the conflagration spread with incredible speed. An inconceivable
confusion succeeded: one sought for another; one called on another;
mother and children, inmates and domestics!
Only half-dressed, and without having saved the least thing, the
inhabitants of the house assembled themselves in the market-place, where
an innumerable crowd of people streamed together, and began to work the
fire-engines; whilst church bells tolled violently, and the alarm-drums
were beaten wildly and dully up and down the streets. Henrik dragged
with him the young Baron L----, who was speechless, and much injured by
the fire.
The mother cast a wild searching look around among her children, and
suddenly exclaiming "Gabriele!" threw herself with a thrilling cry of
anguish into the burning house. A circle of people hastily surrounded
the daughters, in order to prevent their following her, and at the same
moment two men broke forth from them, and hastened with the speed of
lightning after her. The one was her beautiful, now more than ever
beautiful, son. The other resembled one of the Cyclops, as art has
represented them at work in their subterranean smithies, excepting that
he had two eyes, which in this moment flashed forth flames, as if
bidding defiance to those with which he was about to combat. Both
vanished amid the conflagration.
A moment's silence ensued: the alarm-drum ceased to beat; the people
scarcely breathed; the daughters wrung their hands silently, and the
fire-bell called anxiously to the ineffectual engine-showers, for the
flames rose higher and higher.
All at once a shout was sent from the mass of the people; all hearts
beat joyfully, for the mother was borne in the arms of her son from amid
the flames, which stretched forth their hissing tongues towards
her!--and--now another shout of exultation! The modern Cyclop, in one
word the Assessor, stood in a window of the second story, and, amid the
whirlwind of smoke, was seen a white form, which he pressed to his
bosom. A ladder was quickly raised, and Jeremias Munter, blackened and
singed, but nevertheless happy, laid the fainting but unhurt Gabriele in
the arms of her mother and sisters.
After this, he and Henrik returned to the burning house, from which they
were fortunate enough to save the desk containing the Judge's most
valuable papers. A few trifles, but of no great importance, were also
saved. But this was all. The house was of wood, and spite of every
effort to save it, was burned, burned, burned to the ground, but, as it
stood detached, without communicating the fire to any other.
When Henrik, enfeebled with his exertions, returned to his family, he
found them all quartered in the small dwelling of the Assessor, which
also lay in the market-place; while Jeremias seemed suddenly to have
multiplied himself into ten persons, in order to provide his guests with
whatever they required. His old housekeeper, what with the fire, and
what with so many guests who were to be provided for in that
simply-supplied establishment, was almost crazed. But he had help at
hand for everybody: he prepared coffee, he made beds, and seemed
altogether to forget his own somewhat severe personal injuries by the
fire. He joked about himself and his affairs at the same time that he
wiped tears from his eyes, which he could not but shed over the
misfortunes of his friends. Affectionate and determined, he provided for
everything and for every one; whilst Louise and Leonore assisted him
with quiet resolution.
"Wilt thou be reasonable, coffee-pot, and not boil over like a
simpleton, since thou hast to provide coffee for ladies!" said the
Assessor in jesting anger. "Here, Miss Leonore, are drops for the mother
and Eva. Sister Louise, be so good as to take my whole storeroom in
hand; and you, young sir," said he to Henrik, as he seized him suddenly
by the arm, and gazed sharply into his face, "come you with me, for I
must take you rather particularly in hand."
There was indeed not a moment to lose; a violent effusion of blood from
the chest, placed the young man's life in momentary danger. Munter tore
off his coat, and opened a vein at the very moment in which he lost all
consciousness.
"What a silly fellow!" said the Assessor, as Henrik breathed again, "how
can anybody be so silly when he is such--a clever fellow! Nay, now all
danger for the time is over. Death has been playing his jokes with us
to-night! Now, like polite knights, let us be again in attendance on the
ladies. Wait, I must just have a little water for my face, that I need
not look, any more than is necessary, like 'the Knight of the Rueful
Countenance!'"